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Rings to Propose With, From $12 to $625,000

Diamonds aren’t the only options. How to show love, from plastic to rubies.Related Article

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“Will you marry me” are some of the most magical words any time of year, especially around Valentine’s Day. “Put a ring on it,” as Beyoncé sings it, doesn’t necessarily mean a diamond.

Wallis Simpson, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana (whose ring was given to Kate Middleton) each wore an engagement ring that included colored gemstones. In 1796, Napoleon, then a young army officer, gave his future wife, Josephine, a ring of blue sapphires and diamonds.

Today anything goes, depending on the circumstances (perhaps financial) and the couple’s aesthetics and priorities. For the design crowd, there is a plastic ring in the shape of a classic Tiffany setting that could be given as either a place holder or the real thing. After all, it is truly the thought that counts.

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Hand-Carved With a Touch of Glamour

Angled fragment Ring With Diamond is hand carved and set with a 0.015-carat diamond for anyone who wants just a tiny bit of glamour.

The Inner Message ring by Jungyun Yoon, a designer in South Korea, leaves an impression of intention on the wearer’s finger (it comes with a choice of “marry me,” “always” or a heart). The ring is available in sterling silver or 14-karat gold.

The Venus garnet and pearl ringwas inspired by a bracelet worn by Venus, the goddess of love, in a 17th-century 1614/15 painting by Peter Paul Rubens. This ring made of sterling silver with an overlay of 24-karat gold is set with one garnet and two fresh water pearls.

A signed vintage JAR ring made in the 1980s in France, for one lucky buyer who cannot get an appointment with the famous jeweler in Paris: an approximately 4.06-carat diamond solitaire, color F, in a four-prong gold setting.

It is for resale at $220,000 from RAF Jewels at 1st Dibs, 1stdibs.com, 212-627-3927.

Show Us Your Unusual Engagement Ring

Does your engagement ring reflect your vintage or boho-chic style, or did you skip a diamond in favor of a stone like an amethyst or a tourmaline? Did a discount-store diamond do the trick or did a million-dollar rock steal your heart? We’d love to know. Click hereto share your unusual engagement ring.